Shovel and the like



06L 1931- w. A. READY 1,826,022

SHOVEL AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 8, 1929 Patented Oct. 6 1931 UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. READY, F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS SHOVELI AND THE LIKE Application filed October 8, 1929. Serial No. 398,200.

My invention aims to provide improvements in shovels and like implements.

In the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention 6 Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a shovel with the upper end of the handle broken off Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of a shovel blade blank and a portion of a back strap blank prior to butt welding the two together; 10, and

Fig. 3 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 2 after welding.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated by the drawings, I have 1 shown a butt welded back strap for shovels,

spades, scoops and the like which is an improvement over the back strap heretofore used and butt welded in a straight line with the upper edge of the implement blade.

Instead of butt welding the pieces together on a line at right angles to the center line of the back strap, I have found that, if the pieces are cut so that the weld is on the bias, or angled or curved with relation to such a line, there is an improved result due to the fact that this type of welded joint is not subj ected to the same stress as the straight weld. Heretofore there has been breakage at the joint of the butt weld due'to the fact that a bending stress, exerted upon the back strap, was centered along the line of weld.

This stress along the welded joint cannot take place if my invention is employed, as will be readily understood from the following description of one embodiment of my invention.

For purposes of illustration, I have shown (Fig. 2) a portion of a blade blank 1 having an upper edge 2 which is straight, except for an intermediate curved portion 3 formed as a notch in the upper edge of the blank. A portion of a back strap blank 4 is shown with a curved end 5 to fit the curved portion 3 at the upper edge of the shovel blade.

During the process of manufacture of the shovel the back strap 4 is butt welded to the shovel blade 1 so that the welded joint is located along the dotted line A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Then stress is exerted upon the back strap, butt welded as illustrated, the

strain is exerted upon the back strap along broken line B (Fig. 3) in line with the upper edge 2 of the blade. It will be readily understood, therefore, that the stresses and strains, to which the back strap 4 is normally subjected, are centered along the line B which passes through metal free from the welded joint except at the very ends of the joint. with my improved construction and arrangement of parts there would be substantially no weakness because of the weld, whereas, in a straight butt weld, of the type well known to those skilled in the art, there is a possibility of a weakness in the construction unless there is a perfect weld throughout the joint.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A welded strap shovel having a blade and a strap of substantially the same thickness, said strap and blade having abutting cooperating edges welded along a line offset with relation to a line at right angles to the center line of the said strap, whereby substantially all of the stresses exerted upon the shovel adjacent to the joint between the blade and the strap are exerted upon un- Welded portions of the shovel.

2. A shovel or the like having a blade having a curved notch providing a curved edge portion of substantial length at the upper edge of the blade and a strap having one end curved and fitting into said'curved notch and butt welded at the joint with said blade, said strap extending upwardly from said blade in substantial alignment with the general plane of the blade whereby substantially all of the stresses exerted upon the shovel adjacent to the butt Welded joint between the blade and the strap are exerted upon unwelded portions of the shovel along a line through the strap in line with the remaining portions of the upper edge of the blade at each side of the curved portion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM A. READY. 

